Hotel Options in Chamonix: Choosing a Hotel in Chamonix
also see Hotels in Chamonix: All Hotels in Chamonix

The English explorers, Williams Windham and Richard Peacock, came to Chamonix in 1741 and discovered for themselves the impressive glacier at Montenvers. They documented their expeditions in "Voyages aux Glaciers de Savoie" and word quickly spread, attracting Chamonix's first real tourists. Despite it being a nine day journey, it continued to be the English who flocked here for its promise of adventure, and in 1770, Madame Coutterand opened Chamonix's first hotel, L'Hôtel d'Angleterre, named after the nationality of the majority of its guests.

Just under 50 years later, the valley's first luxury hotel was built, the Hôtel de l'Union. Tourism continued to grow, and with it the number of hotels. The magic of Mont Blanc was luring budding mountaineers to this special place as well as those just wishing to admire the stunning view.

Today Chamonix hotel accommodation suits all budgets, mostly in small to medium sized low-rise charming buildings, many offering rooms with views of Mont Blanc. The majority of hotels are located in and around Chamonix town centre, though there are a few nice choices in Les Praz, Argentière and Les Houches. Here we review the best options, and you can find a complete list of Chamonix hotels here.

Luxury Chamonix hotels
Long gone are the days of early splendour at the Hôtel de l'Union and the Majestic (now turned into apartments and conference rooms).

Today Chamonix's premier hotel is the Relais & Châteaux - Le Hameau Albert 1er, recently renovated and promoted to five stars (France only recently introduced the 5-star classification in 2009) a rarity in a mountain resort - at least outside Courchevel 1850... Located just on the edge of town, this historical hotel was built in 1903 by Joseph Carrier and now is super-stylish and serene, offering exceptional facilities, including a luxury spa and a two Michelin-starred restaurant.

Even more established is the four star Grand Hôtel des Alpes, built in 1840 and located in the heart of Chamonix centre. It was completely refurbished in 2004, keeping its traditional feel and adding some lovely Italianate touches.

Dating to the 1850s is the Hôtel Mont Blanc with a superb position overlooking the main church square, by the Tourist Office. Another historic hotel, it was one of Chamonix's most desirable places to stay and is currently undergoing a complete luxury renovation which we are confident will keep it as a firm favourite when it reopens in the summer of 2012.

A short walk out of Chamonix centre will take you to the lovely Auberge du Bois Prin, on the sunny Brévent side of the valley. Attracting a more mature clientele to its 10 room chalet-hotel, it offers wonderful organic cooking using seasonal vegetables from its garden.

Outside Chamonix town, the two best luxury options are the Jeu de Paume in Le Lavancher for seclusion; and Amazonia in Les Bossons for large groups. The Jeu de Pomme has a lovely mountain lodge feel and an excellent restaurant run by Eric de Gang. If you have a large group, Amazon Creek's Amazonia has a unique concept of sleeping up to 24 guests in their three chalets, offering a tailored hotel service but with all the space of five star chalet living.

Central Chamonix hotels and access to the nightlife
If part of the reason you chose Chamonix as your ski holiday destination is for its lively après ski, then you want to be close to the action. The following hotels are the best central options, some with their own live entertainment. One of Chamonix's most popular après ski venues is the famous Chambre 9 bar which is part of the Hôtel Gustavia. This Scandinavian-run hotel has a relaxed atmosphere and fun and friendly staff.

Completely renovated for the 2011/12 winter season is Le Faucigny hotel, another good central option. It will be slightly more upmarket and offers a new spa for soothing those aching muscles after a hard day's skiing.

About a kilometre out of town (ok, not so central but compensated for by the liveliness!), by the Gaillands climbing wall, is Le Vert hotel. It's affordable and has nice but simple rooms, attracting a cool snowboarding crowd who hang out watching gnarly videos or dancing to DJ sets late into the evening.

Lastly, The Vagabond (see Hostels) is another lively place to stay for those on a tighter budget.

Access to the ski slopes
So, you want to get up and straight out onto the slopes with as little faff as possible? These are our pick of hotels within walking distance of the valley's ski lifts. Unless you fancy bivying out at the turnstiles, you can't get much closer to the Brévent ski lift than the Hôtel La Savoyarde. Located in a renovated 14^th century building, it benefits from a sunny position and has 14 charming rooms.

Technically an apart-hotel (apartments offering hotel services) the Balcons du Savoy sits on the beginner pistes of the Savoy (foot of the Brévent) - giving some of the only ski-to-the-door accommodation in Chamonix. You can use the beginner button pull from the Balcons to access the main Brévent lift. And the Club Med hotel, on the other side of the same Savoy pistes, offers similar benefits plus an all-inclusive package.

Heading up the valley, there are two good hotels near to the Flégère lift in Les Praz. The Hôtel Eden has nice rooms, as well as some apartments, a cosy bar with a log fire and a highly recommended restaurant. The Hôtel Les Lanchers is also within walking distance of Flégère and has recently been renovated.

If being close to the famous Grand Montets ski area is what you're looking for, we'd recommend the Hôtel Le Montana and the Hôtel Les Grand Montets. Le Montana is a family-style inn with a warm and comfortable feel and is just 100 metres from the base of the lift. Even closer is the wood-clad Les Grand Montets with its lovely terrace and traditional Savoyard atmosphere.

Down in Les Houches, the well-positioned L'Hôtel Slalom sits right at the foot of the Bellevue cable car and has just 10 modern rooms and a popular après ski bar with live music.

Family friendly Chamonix hotels
Taking the family on a ski holiday can be hard work so finding a good family-friendly hotel is essential to making life that little bit easier. Set in the former Savoy Hotel on the edge of Chamonix town and adjacent to the Savoy beginners slope is the all inclusive Club Med resort offering all array of facilities for young ones and teenagers alike, from its Baby Club Med to a lovely heated outdoor swimming pool.

Slightly further out of town in a quiet neighbourhood, the modern wooden Hermitage chalet-hotel has friendly owners, nice gardens for the children to play in, plenty of games and a cinema room.

If you've decided to holiday in Les Houches and take advantage of its gentle, relaxed skiing, then the Hôtel du Bois is a good option. It is warm and welcoming, has an indoor and outdoor swimming pool and a large garden and offers shuttles to and from the ski lifts.

Good for groups Chamonix hotels
Finding a place which can accommodate large groups isn't always that easy, especially in a resort where hotels tend to be smaller and individual. Here are four good options in the centre of Chamonix.

Close to the central bus station, from which you can catch buses to all ski areas in the valley, is the Les Aiglons hotel. Recent renovations have softened the corporate feel and given it a contemporary touch. It also benefits from an outdoor pool and spa. Run by the same chain as Les Aiglons, Le Morgane offers small but pleasant modern rooms, a hotel spa and swimming pool and has made significant efforts to be environmentally sustainable.

Slightly simpler rooms are on offer at the Hôtel Prieuré, a large Savoyard-style chalet building on Rue Joseph Vallot and at its sister hotel, the Hôtel Croix-Blanche in the centre of town. The Hôtel Croix-Blanche has a nice terrace for après ski at its L'M brasserie which serves Savoyard specialities.

Budget hotels - better than hostel standard without breaking the bank
Chamonix offers the budget holiday maker a reasonably good choice of hotels.

The central Les Cretes-Blanches is tucked away and thus avoids being noisy, and has simply styled rooms for lower budgets. Overlooking the Place du Triangle de l'Amitié and the main church is the Hôtel Le Chamonix which also has 16 simple rooms.

Just on the edge of town centre is the British-operator run Hotel BDN (Boule de Neige) which has a good location for easy access to the Brévent lift and a sports bar downstairs. Nearby the Hôtel de l'Arve sitting on the river with a nice terrace is also a good option.

On the Route des Gaillands, heading out of town is La Chaumiere which is popular with mountaineers and has a traditional Savoyard feel.

Hostels
At the lower end of the market, Chamonix has a few friendly hostel-style options where, chances are, you'll meet some like-minded people looking for ski or après ski partners. Probably the most popular hostel in Chamonix is the Le Vagabond which is well known as a meeting place for visitors and locals alike. Rooms are super cheap and the staff friendly. Another good spot is the Ski Station Chalet Refuge which has a great location by the Brévent lift and has a big house atmosphere. Finally there is the Chalet Gîte Michel Fagot in Les Houches which is located 300 metres from the Bellevue cable car.